Yesterday, August 3, 2017, the Senate GOP joined hands with the Democrats against Trump. This time even more than Healthcare was at stake. This time, more than 3 Republicans crossed the aisle to save the integrity of the Senate, limit the power of the Executive Branch and protect American Democracy.
The Senate left D.C. on Thursday evening with most lawmakers not expected to return to Washington until after Labor Day.
But before they left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), one of the GOP heroes on Healthcare, doing wrap up for the entire Senate, locked in nine "pro-forma" sessions — brief meetings that normally last roughly a minute.
The move, which requires the agreement of every senator, means the Senate will be in session every three business days throughout the August recess.
The current deal not to adjoin the Senate but to keep it in session came after Trump repeatedly tweeted out against Attorney General Jeff Sessions, sparking speculation that he would try to fire Sessions and name an AG successor while Congress is out of town. A new AG, freed of the limitations stemming from Sessions' recusal frim theRussian investigation, would be able, at Trump's behest, to fire Special Investigator Robert Mueller.
The current deal thwarted any possible plans by Trump to use recess appointments to end Mueller's investigation.
This Senate Deal happened on the heels of the news that Mueller had impaled a new Grand Jury in DC yesterday, a move universally interpreted as a sign that Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible Trump campaign collusion with the Russians was moving forward.
The GOP-controlled Senate also held pro-forma sessions over the week-long July 4th recess.
On separation of powers, and perhaps specifically on the issues of 1) firing Sessions 2) firing Mueller, the GOP is not in lock-step with Trump.
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August 4, 2017
Addendum. This is the same Senate strategy that The GOP-controlled Senate used to keep President Obama from being able to fill a vacant Supreme Court seat.